WASHINGTON, February 4, 2015, While aspects of the U.S. economy have improved, money continues to be a top cause of stress for Americans, according to the new Stress in America™: Paying With Our Health survey released today by the American Psychological Association. According to the survey, parents, younger generations and those living in lower-income households report higher levels of stress than Americans overall, especially when it comes to stress about money.

“Regardless of the economic climate, money and finances have remained the top stressor since our survey began in 2007. Furthermore, this year’s survey shows that stress related to financial issues could have a significant impact on Americans’ health and well-being,” APA CEO and Executive Vice President Norman B. Anderson, PhD, said.

The survey, which was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of APA among 3,068 adults in August 2014, found that 72 percent of Americans reported feeling stressed about money at least some of the time during the past month. Twenty-two percent said that they experienced extreme stress about money during the past month (an 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale, where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress”). For the majority of Americans (64 percent), money is a somewhat or very significant source of stress, but especially for parents and younger adults (77 percent of parents, 75 percent of millennials [18 to 35 years old] and 76 percent of Gen Xers [36 to 49 years old]).

A gap also appears to be emerging in stress levels between people living in lower-income (making less than $50,000 per year) and higher-income households that mirrors the growing wealth gap nationwide. In 2007, there was no difference in reported average stress levels between those who earned more and those who earned less than $50,000, with both groups reporting the same average levels of stress (6.2 on a 10-point scale). By 2014, a clear gap had emerged with those living in lower-income households reporting higher overall stress levels than those living in higher-income households (5.2 vs. 4.7 on the 10-point scale).

Stress about money and finances appears to have a significant impact on many Americans’ lives. Some are putting their health care needs on hold because of financial concerns. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans say that they have either considered skipping (9 percent) or skipped (12 percent) going to the doctor when they needed health care because of financial concerns. Stress about money also impacts relationships: Almost a third of adults with partners (31 percent) report that money is a major source of conflict in their relationship.

The report also uncovered good news about stress management. Americans who say they have someone they can ask for emotional support, such as family and friends, report lower stress levels and better related outcomes than those without emotional support. Unfortunately, some Americans say that they do not have anyone to rely on for emotional support. According to the survey, 43 percent of those who say they have no emotional support report that their overall stress has increased in the past year, compared with 26 percent of those who say they have emotional support.

On average, Americans’ stress levels are trending downward: The average reported stress level is 4.9 on a 10-point scale, down from 6.2 in 2007. Regardless of lower stress levels, it appears that Americans are living with stress levels higher than what we believe to be healthy — 3.7 on a 10-point scale — and some (22 percent) say they are not doing enough to manage their stress.

“This year’s survey continues to reinforce the idea that we are living with a level of stress that we consider too high,” Anderson said. “Despite the good news that overall stress levels are down, it appears that the idea of living with stress higher than what we believe to be healthy and dealing with it in ineffective ways continues to be embedded in our culture. All Americans, and particularly those groups that are most affected by stress — which include women, younger adults and those with lower incomes — need to address this issue sooner than later in order to better their health and well-being.”

To read the full Stress in America report or download graphics, visit the webpage.

The Stress in America survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association between Aug. 4 and 29, 2014, among 3,068 adults ages 18 and older who reside in the U.S. Because the sample is based on those who were invited and agreed to participate in the Harris Poll online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. To read the full methodology, including the weighting variables, visit the Stress in America Press Room webpage.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes nearly 130,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.

Zillow Ranks Top Places Where Mom-and-Pop Landlords Make the Most Money

Homeowners turned landlords are most profitable in Oklahoma City, Okla. in short-term profit; San Jose, Calif., in the long-term profit, according to a Zillow Rentals Analysis

SEATTLE, Aug. 15, 2014, Zillow today named the Oklahoma City area the top place where mom-and-pop landlords stand to make the most money on their rental property on a month-to-month basis. A Zillow Rentals analysisi looked at the top 50 U.S metros to determine which areas provide the best short-term return on investment for landlords. Rental property owners in the Oklahoma City metro area can expect to profit $536 per month on the median home when comparing anticipated rental income versus their assumed monthly mortgage payment.

Mom-and-pop landlords are homeowners who have turned their personal home into a rental rather than selling it when they move.

Zillow has also named the best places for landlords interested in long-term profitsii. When looking at rental income, tax benefits and accumulated home equity (thanks to rapid home value appreciation), landlords in San Jose, California, make the most money: $8,927 per month, or $107,122 per year. The majority of this “profit” is derived from earned but unrealized equity distributed evenly each month over the next six years. Most, if not all, of this profit will not be realized until the landlord sells the property.

“When deciding if they should sell their home or rent it out, most mom-and-pop landlords are primarily concerned with whether or not they can cover their mortgage payment each month – they simply can’t absorb monthly losses like professional investors,” said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. “However, the greatest returns are actually in markets like San Jose and San Francisco where there are short-term monthly losses, but the long-term earned equity makes them the best markets to invest in.”

Nationally, the Zillow Rent Index has increased 2.5 percent since June 2013 and 9.1 percent since June 2011. On a local level, the Zillow Rent Index has gone up as much as two to three times that amount over the past year in rental hotspots such as metro Chicago (+6.3 percent) and San Francisco (+11 percent).

Top 10 Markets for Long-term Financial Gain (includes home equity gains, tax benefits, and the difference between monthly rental income and mortgage payments after holding onto the property for six years on the median home. Also accounting for property/income taxes, maintenance and vacancy)

Zillow, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z) operates the largest home-related marketplaces on mobile and the Web, with a complementary portfolio of brands and products that help people find vital information about homes, and connect with the best local professionals. In addition, Zillow operates an industry-leading economics and analytics bureau led by Zillow’s Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. Dr. Humphries and his team of economists and data analysts produce extensive housing data and research covering more than 450 markets at Zillow Real Estate Research. Zillow also sponsors the quarterly Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey, which asks more than 100 leading economists, real estate experts and investment and market strategists to predict the path of the Zillow Home Value Index over the next five years. Zillow also sponsors the bi-annual Zillow Housing Confidence Index (ZHCI) which measures consumer confidence in local housing markets, both currently and over time. The Zillow, Inc. portfolio includes Zillow.com®, Zillow Mobile, Zillow Mortgage , Zillow Rentals, Zillow Digs®, Postlets®, Diverse Solutions®, Agentfolio®, Mortech®, HotPads™, StreetEasy® and Retsly™. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

i For short-term financial gain, Zillow identified the top places where landlords make the most money on their rental property based on several assumptions including that the median valued property was purchased five years ago in May 2009, with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, a 20 percent down payment, and an interest rate of 4.5 percent, roughly the rate that prevailed at the time. For tax purposes we assume that the homeowner is married with a gross annual income equal to the metro-area median and that the property is vacant at a rate equal to the metro-area average vacancy rate. Finally, we assess the net profit excluding equity earned if the homeowner rents out the property for an additional seven years during which home values and rents increase at their historic rates.

ii For long-term financial gain Zillow identified the top places where landlords make the most money on their rental property based on several assumptions including that the median valued property was purchased five years ago in May 2009, with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, a 20 percent down payment, and an interest rate of 4.5 percent, roughly the rate that prevailed at the time. For tax purposes we assume that the homeowner is married with a gross annual income equal to the metro-area median and that the property is vacant at a rate equal to the metro-area average vacancy rate. Finally, we assess the net profit and accumulated home equity if the homeowner rents out the property for an additional seven years during which home values and rents increase at their historic rates.

Professor Anthony M. Criniti IV offers a fresh look at the science of wealth management in “The Necessity of Finance”

PHILADELPHIA – In “The Necessity of Finance” (ISBN 0988459507), Dr. Anthony M. Criniti IV breaks down the complex details of the financial world into easy-to-digest terms any layman can understand and even master. Finance is a completely separate field from economics and as such, Dr.Criniti sets out toexplain real-world topics that investors and “financialists” need to inculcate into their ideological portfolio.

Global wealth accumulation is at its highest levels ever. There are more billionaires and oligarchs living today than at any other time in human history. Yet as the American and global financial system has come under critical scrutiny in recent years, consumers and ordinary citizens are seeking answers about the world of finance. Why is money important? Is it merely ink and paper or digits on a computer screen. Why does finance matter? How might we come to understand its many intricacies which act as a multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle? The answers will both interest and surprise readers.

“Most of the major theories developed in finance were created by economists, physicists, mathematicians, etc. Finance, although highly interrelated with many other subjects, is a separate field of study that is often confused with others,” says Dr.Criniti. “With world wealth accumulating to its highest point in history, the necessity to understand this subject is more crucial than ever.”

Readers will learn what the difference between money and wealth is and will find answers to many oflife’s financial questions. What is risk and return? What kinds of investments exist? What are the different techniques for selecting investments? And what role does ethics play in finance? The author has created a true page-turner able to clarify the definition, purpose and goals of both finance and economics while exploring financial concepts in a straightforward manner.

Dr. Anthony M. Criniti IV is a former financial consultant and a current professor of finance at several universities. He earned a PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a concentration in finance. A native of Philadelphia, he has also received many financially related designations, including CHFC, CLU, REBC, and RHU. Dr. Criniti is an active investor and has traveled the world studying various aspects of finance. He is also the author of the acclaimed finance book, The Necessity of Finance and the newly releasedThe Most Important Lessons in Economics and Finance.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2013, New research released today by HelloWallet finds that over 25% of U.S. workers participating in a 401(k) plan will access their 401(k) savings before they reach retirement, now withdrawing $70 billion annually. The study, which analyzed consumer finance data from the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Census Bureau, raises significant questions about the future of the bedrock retirement program as more workers move from traditional pension benefits towards tax-incented defined contribution programs. The survey results also hold significant implications for employers, who collectively invest $118 billion annually in 401(k) programs for their workers’ retirement.

The research finds that one out of four participants in 401(k) retirement programs will either cash-out their savings before retirement – incurring substantial penalties and taxes – or forfeit them to loans. Among the other findings in the research:

26 percent of 401(k) participants now use their 401(k) savings for non-retirement needs;

75 percent report that they breached their savings because of basic money management problems;

Workers now withdraw or breach over $70 billion annually out of their 401(k)s for non-retirement needs;

Penalized withdrawals increased from $36 billion to about $60 billion between 2004 and 2010;

Workers in their 40’s are most likely to breach their savings for non-retirement needs.

“This research shows that employers are not getting the ROI that they may think they are from their retirement investments,” said HelloWallet founder and CEO Matt Fellowes , a former Brookings Scholar who led the study. “Investing in retirement savings is essential for all Americans, but this study demonstrates that a large share of U.S. workers lack the basic financial skills needed to actually benefit from those savings, and it’s costing both them and their employer dearly.”

“While there is no question about the need for retirement savings, the issue raised by our research is whether employees are given the financial tools, including unbiased guidance, to make the best decisions every step of the way,” said Fellowes. “These data strongly indicate that, for many workers, investment advice is misaligned with their investment needs and, as importantly, with their basic day-to-day financial needs.”

The research also finds that only a small percentage of employees (8 percent) are withdrawing funds because they have lost their jobs. Instead, 75 percent of those who have made early withdrawals have done so because they lack basic money management skills and need to meet basic money management challenges, such as emergencies, credit card payments, and health care. In many cases, better planning and guidance would put them on a track to avoid costly mistakes, take advantage of the tax incentives, and accumulate the savings needed for retirement.

For employers, the implications of the research are substantial. American companies now spend $118 billion annually on retirement contributions with the expectation that employees will take maximum advantage of these programs to improve their financial well-being. The new research suggests that employers’ massive investment is not always delivering the intended results.

To aid employers in evaluating the effectiveness of their retirement and other Rewards programs, HelloWallet is providing an online diagnostic. Called the “Financial Wellness Diagnostic,” this free tool provides employers with insight into the needs of their workforce to help them better align their benefits investments to meet that need.

About HelloWallet. HelloWallet is the leading provider of behavioral technology applications that help organizations improve their performance through aligning their Total Rewards spending with their human capital needs. HelloWallet is headquartered in Washington DC and is backed by Morningstar, Inc., TD Fund, Grotech Ventures, and Revolution LLC. For more information, please visit our website www.hellowallet.com or call 866.55.HELLO.

A number of elements influence the percentage of free-and-clear homeowners in a given area, including median home values. Zillow found that areas with lower home values generally have higher outright homeownership rates, as smaller loan amounts are easier to pay back more quickly.

Demographic factors including the age and credit rating of primary borrowers also influence free-and-clear homeownership rates. Zillow found that 65- to 74-year-olds are most likely to be free-and-clear (20.5 percent), followed by 74- to 84-year-olds (17.9 percent). This is attributed to the fact that the longer someone owns a home, the longer they have to pay off their mortgage. Interestingly, when examining free-and-clear ownership rates as a percentage of homeowners in various age groups, Zillow found 34.5 percent of 20- to 24-year-old homeowners are free of mortgages.

Among homeowners who own their homes outright, 44 percent have a high VantageScore – representing their credit rating – between 800 and 900. Only 15.5 percent of homeowners with the highest credit rating of 900-990 are free-and-clear.

“So far we have used our unique data on how much homeowners owe on their homes primarily to identify underwater and delinquent groups of homeowners,” said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries . “But looking at those homeowners who are free-and-clear is important, too. Homeowners unencumbered by a mortgage may be more flexible than indebted homeowners, and therefore more apt or willing to list their homes or enter the market for a new property. By determining where these homeowners are located, we can also gain insight into potential inventory and demand in those areas, as well.”

Zillow’s analysis incorporates mortgage data from TransUnion®, a global leader in credit and information management. All personally identifying information is removed from the data by TransUnion before delivery to Zillow. Overall, the data covers more than 800 metro areas, 2,100 counties and 21,900 ZIP codes nationwide. To calculate the free-and-clear homeownership rate, we compute the number of overall homeowners and number of homeowners with no outstanding mortgage debt by location and demographics. We exclude investor and rental homes.

For more data on free-and-clear homeownership, including data at the state, metro and county levels broken down by homeowners’ age and credit rating, please see the full research brief or contact press@zillow.com.

About Zillow:Zillow (NASDAQ: Z) is the leading real estate information marketplace, providing vital information about homes, real estate listings and mortgages through its website and mobile applications, enabling homeowners, buyers, sellers and renters to connect with real estate and mortgage professionals best suited to meet their needs. In addition, Zillow operates an industry-leading economics and analytics bureau led by Zillow’s Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries. Dr. Humphries and his team of economists and data analysts produce extensive housing data and research covering more than 350 markets at Zillow Real Estate Research. Zillow, Inc. operates Zillow.com®, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, Zillow Rentals, Zillow Mobile, Postlets®, Diverse Solutions®, Buyfolio™, Mortech™ and HotPads™. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

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